The Los Angeles Dodgers are changing the game with all the money they are throwing around, and their signing of Zack Greinke has changed the landscape of the National League.

The Dodgers have spent wisely, assembling one of the best rosters money can buy. And it’s the dynamic duo atop their rotation that stands out most.

But the Dodgers aren’t alone in that area. The majors’ five best 1-2 rotation punches:

1. Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, Dodgers

Of all such duos in the majors, this is the closest to featuring two aces in their prime. Kershaw was the 2011 NL Cy Young Award winner and the runner-up for that honor in 2012. Entering his age-25 season, Kershaw is among the majors’ best and now has a Robin to his Batman.

Greinke, 29, is the highest-paid righthander in history ($147 million over six seasons) and arguably the best No. 2 starter in the majors. While his ERA might not stack up with the best, Greinke is 10th among all starters in WAR (9.1, with Kershaw second at 12.2, according to fangraphs.com), sixth in Fielding Independent Pitching (3.05, with Kershaw first at 2.68), third in strikeouts per nine innings (9.40, with Kershaw fourth at 9.31) and eighth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.05, with Kershaw sixth at 4.08) over the last two seasons.

And Greinke, who has been atop every rotation for he has pitched since he was a rookie in 2004 with the Kansas City Royals, could be even better in terms of wins and losses by being slotted in the No. 2 spot. Nearly every other team that courted Greinke this offseason needed him as its ace, but the Dodgers already have that guy in Kershaw. Thus, Greinke will settle for fewer tough-luck losses and no-decisions because he won’t always be matched up against the opposition’s ace.

The Dodgers also have an advantage in that their top two guys are lefthanded (Kershaw) and righthanded (Greinke) and that they will throw in a pitcher-friendly park and division.

2. Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez, Washington Nationals

This is the only other duo with a legitimate claim to the top spot. Instead of labeling them “No. 2” on the list, they are “No. 1A.” This is a lefty-righty combo.

Strasburg doesn’t have the experience to be called a pitcher in his prime just yet, but that will change after next season. If he stays healthy, the 24-year-old righthander will be a perennial Cy Young candidate and one of the most dominant pitchers in the NL.

As for Gonzalez, he had a breakout season in 2011 and established himself as an ace in 2012. The 27-year-old lefthander went 21-8 with a 2.89 ERA in 199 1/3 innings. His biggest flaw was his home/away splits. Gonzalez posted a 2.38 ERA in 14 starts at Nationals Park but had a 3.31 ERA on the road. That latter mark isn’t terrible, but it signals other inconsistencies. In 11 starts in June/July, he had a 4.48 ERA and pitched more than six innings only twice.

3. Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, Detroit Tigers

Looking purely at his overall 2012 numbers, Scherzer doesn’t seem to belong in this conversation. However, it is possible that he finally is fulfilling the potential that made him the 11th overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006.

After going 10-6 with a 4.72 ERA in his first 22 starts this past season—showing only glints of the star many believed he could become—Scherzer went 6-1 with a 1.65 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 60 innings in his final 10 outings. That success carried into the postseason and caused one scout to say Scherzer had the second-best stuff of anyone in the majors, second only to his teammate.

That would be Verlander, and there is no need to elaborate on why he is considered the game’s best pitcher.

4. Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies

It might seem absurd to list two Phillies and not include Roy Halladay. But Doc is coming off an injury-plagued season in which he went 11-8 with a 4.49 ERA in 25 starts. His aura of invincibility appears to be gone, possibly because he has pitched 1,571 innings over the past seven seasons.

But Hamels and Lee are capable lefthanders who each pitched more than 200 innings in front of a defense and for offense that were subpar in 2012.

5. David Price and Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay Rays

Price has developed into a legitimate ace, and his 2012 AL Cy Young Award was deserved.

Hellickson’s challenge next season will be to pitch deeper into games and surpass the 200-inning plateau. In order to do that, he either must drastically improve his control or must strike out hitters at a higher rate.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants

Cain carries this rotation and is an ace with an ERA-plus no lower than 121 in each of the past four seasons.

But he doesn’t have a dominant sidekick like aforementioned duos. With Tim Lincecum falling flat on his face last season and being banished from the postseason rotation, Bumgarner assumes the role of No. 2.

Bumgarner’s 3.37 ERA isn’t overly impressive and a 5.47 ERA in the final month of the regular season buried him in the playoff rotation. If Bumgarner, 23, takes the next step in his progression, he and Cain will move up on this list.

Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson, Los Angeles Angels

Weaver is another bona fide ace, and Wilson was supposed to be his trusted backup. That never panned out in 2012, when Wilson went 13-10 with a 3.83 ERA and 1.34 WHIP.

Only later was it revealed that Wilson pitched down the stretch with bone spurs in his left elbow. That explains his 5.54 ERA in 16 starts after the All-Star break. If Wilson can return to his pre-break form (9-5, 2.43 ERA), this will be one of the majors’ best duos in 2013.